Mango tree named ‘Cherry’

ABSTRACT

New variety of mango tree (Mangifera indica), ‘Cherry’, is disclosed; distinguished by production of heavy and consistent crops with fruit weighting 1,030 g (36.3 oz) on average, having rounded base with a shallow cavity, small beak and smooth surface except for few small lenticels. Skin is thick and resistant to anthracnose. Mature fruit has brilliant oxblood red peel color confluent over nearly the whole surface. Immature fruits are purple with an ashen, waxy sheen. When ripe, the fruit has a pleasant apricot aroma with accents of peach, papaya, and a hint of coconut; flesh is tangerine orange, firm and melting without fiber. It has a floral bouquet with a hint of sugar cane, a creamy smooth texture with 17.5°±1 brix and long flavor-life in storage. The tree is small with round spreading canopy, highly productive and good disease tolerance. The new ‘Cherry’ tree has potential for commercial use.

Genus and species: Mangifera indica.

Variety denomination: ‘Cherry’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of mangotree, botanically known as Mangifera indica, and hereinafter referred toby the variety name ‘Cherry’.

‘Cherry’ is a new variety of mango tree discovered as a seedling thatwas derived from open pollination of what was discovered as an improvedseedling selection of mango tree named ‘Kent’ (unpatented) and wasselected for remarkable qualities when compared with ‘Kent’. Selectionof the new variety was made on Jun. 1, 2018, at a private mango farm inthe Redlands farming district of Miami-Dade County in south Florida, theUnited States of America and was made based on improved characteristicsincluding disease resistance, brighter color, its small tree size, andgood fruit quality. Asexual propagation of the new variety by graftingusing cuttings was first performed in July 2018 using mature mango treesas a topworking graft rootstock 6 years old. The propagation was done ata private mango farm in the Redlands farming district of Miami-DadeCounty in south Florida, the United States of America.

The new ‘Cherry’ variety is distinguished by the production of heavy andconsistent crops of fruit which are 1,030 g (36.3 oz) average weight,with a rounded base with a shallow cavity; small beak and smooth surfaceexcept for few and small lenticels. The mature fruit has a brilliantoxblood red peel color confluent over nearly the whole surface. Immaturefruits are purple with an ashen, waxy skin. Ripe fruit has a pleasantapricot aroma with accents of peach, papaya, and a hint of coconut. Theflesh is tangerine orange, firm and melting without fiber. It haspleasant flavor of apricot with accents of peach, papaya, and a hint ofcoconut. The flesh is tangerine orange, firm and melting without fiber,creamy and with smooth texture with a brix of 17.5°±1 and a longflavor-life in storage. The skin is thick and resistant to anthracnosedisease. The tree is small, forming a round canopy. Trees in SouthFlorida reach a height of 1.6-3.0 m (5.2-9.8 ft), a spread of 2.2 m (7ft)—but with annual pruning they can be kept smaller. The tree flushesonce a year with short internodes. It is a small tree size and highlyproductive, with excellent disease tolerance. It has a polyembryonicseed with a weight average of 131 gr (4.6 oz), and are 9.6 cm (3.8 in)long, 5.08 cm (2.0 in) wide and 3.55 cm (1.4 in) thick.

The new ‘Cherry’ tree has been asexually propagated via grafting usingcuttings and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristicsthrough asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety have not been applied for. Thenew variety ‘Cherry’ has not been made publicly available or soldanywhere in the world more than one year prior to the effective filingdate of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown at the Redlands farmingdistrict of Miami-Dade County in south Florida, the United States ofAmerica and can be used to distinguish ‘Cherry’ as a new and distinctvariety of mango tree:

-   -   1. Excellent quality of fruit with brighter and uniform oxblood        red peel color.    -   2. Small tree size with heavy and consistent crops.    -   3. Excellent disease tolerance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new mango tree is illustrated by the accompanying photographs whichshow the entire tree, the inside and outside of the fruit, and the seed;the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of a3-year-old tree using topworking graft rootstock 6 years old tree grownat a private mango farm in the Redlands farming district of Miami-DadeCounty in south Florida, the United States of America. Pictures offlowers and inflorescence were taken in January 2020 and pictures oftree and fruit were taken in July 2021.

FIG. 1 shows the entire tree.

FIG. 2 shows the exterior and interior of the mature fruit and the seed.

FIG. 3 shows the inflorescence and flowers.

FIG. 4 shows the leaves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Cherry’. Trees of the new mango variety have notbeen observed under all possible environmental conditions. Observationsand measurements were taken on a 3-year-old tree using topworking graftrootstock of a 6 year old tree, grown at a private mango farm in theRedlands farming district of Miami-Dade County in south Florida, theUnited States of America.

Color readings were taken under natural light. Color references areprimarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Societyof London (R.H.S.) (2016 edition).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Anacardiaceae.        -   Botanical name.—Mangifera indica.        -   Denomination.—‘Cherry’.-   Tree:    -   -   Growth habit.—Spreading and rounded.        -   Height.—1.6 m (5.2 ft) high.        -   Regularity of bearing.—Regular bearing.        -   Productivity.—Very good; 15.6 kg (34.4 pound) per tree.        -   Pollinator information.—Main pollinators are flies.-   Trunk:    -   -   Diameter.—12.0 cm (4.7 in) at 0.8 m (2.6 ft) height.        -   Surface texture.—Smooth and regular.        -   Color.—Gray-brown, consistent with trunk color of other            mango varieties (approximately RHS 199A).-   Branches:    -   -   Habit.—Spreading and open.        -   Surface texture.—Smooth and regular Color (one year old and            older): Same as trunk.        -   Size.—91.4 cm (36 in) average.        -   Growth flows.—Once a year between 5.8 cm to 9.9 cm (2.3 in            to 3.9 in).-   Leaves:    -   -   General size.—Smaller compared with other mango varieties.        -   Length.—14.0 cm (5.5 in).        -   Width.—3.0 cm (1.18 in).        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Broad angular.        -   Margin.—Smooth to slightly wavy.        -   Shape in cross-section.—Incurved.        -   Pubescence.—Absent.        -   Color.—Upper surface: Green (RHS 139A). Lower surface:            Typically, the same as upper (green), or with a slightly            more yellow green (RHS 146B). Color (immature):            Greyed-orange (RHS 177B).        -   Petiole.—Length: 1.1 cm to 1.9 cm (0.43 in to 0.74 in).            Diameter: 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm (0.12 in to 0.16 in). Color            (mature): Yellow-green (RHS 146B). Color (immature):            Greyed-red (RHS 178B).-   Inflorescence:    -   -   General.—Flowers produced on terminal inflorescences with            thousands of individual flowers that typically set less than            1.5% in natural pollination. Inflorescence is pyramidal,            36.5 cm (14.4 in) long, with dense flowering.        -   Date of bloom.—Mid-December to early March.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Length.—2.5 mm (0.10 in).        -   Surface texture.—Surface is firm.-   Flowers: Flowers have high percentage of hermaphrodite flowers (52%    to 72%) compared with other cultivars. Petals and sepals: Both male    and hermaphrodite flowers have 5 petals and sepals. Flower buds are    both male and hermaphrodite: Size: 2.5 mm (0.10 in) and average    surface texture and, when fully open: 4.1 mm (0.16 in). Petals:    Quantity per flower: 5, Color: White to cream gray (RHS 155A) to    brown red (RHS 178B) with maturity Sepals: Quantity per flower: 5;    Peduncle: Small and many-branched, Color: Pink to brown red (RHS    178B) or green (RHS 138B).-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Anther quantity.—5 per flower.        -   Anther color.—White (RHS 155A).        -   Ovary quantity.—1.        -   Stigma color.—White (RHS 155A) and red closer to the center            of the flower (/RHS 178B).-   Fruit: General: The fruit are ripe for commercial harvesting and    shipment approximately June through July in the Redlands farming    district of Miami-Dade County in south Florida, the United States of    America. The fruit are large, Length: Typical average length: 14.8    cm (5.8 in); Diameter: Typical average diameter: 12.5 cm (4.9 in);    Thickness: Typical average thickness: 11.2 cm (4.4 in); Weight:    Typical average weight: 1,030 g (36.3 oz). Shape: Oblong to oval    with an undulating skin surface, a rounded base with a shallow    cavity, slender stem with a squared insertion, and a small lateral    beak; Surface: Slightly wavy; Appendix: Lightly dotted; Peak: Small;    side Shape of peak: Bluntly pointed Stem. Peduncle: Hard,    cylindrical; Length: 10.0 cm (3.94 in) to 16.0 cm (6.30 in);    Diameter: 0.3 cm (0.12 in); Color: Brown to gray (RHS 199C); Skin:    Thickness: Thick, leathery and adhesive; Smoothness: Moderately    undulating; Lenticels: Few, small, yellow lenticels (RHS 162B);    Color: Immature fruit turn purpure (RHS 59A), and when they ripe    fruit turned brilliant oxblood red peel color (RHS 60B) confluent    over nearly the whole surface. Flesh: Texture: Firm, melting, and    juicy without fiber; Color: Tangerine-orange (RHS 24A). Flavor:    Excellent flavor reminiscent of apricot with accents of peach,    papaya, and a hint of coconut. It has creamy smooth texture with a    brix of 17.5°±1 and a long flavor-life in storage. Fragrance: Slight    and pleasant. Seed: General: Polyembryonic; Shape: Oblong-oval,    Length: 9.6 cm (3.8 in); Breadth: 5.08 cm (2.0 in); Thickness: 3.55    cm (1.4 in), Weight: 131.0 g (4.6 oz). Texture: Thick and woody;    tied to the pulp Softening: Time to softening (ripening) depends on    stage of maturity (3 to 10 days); softening is uniform and rapid    once it begins yet flesh firmness is maintained for several days at    room temperature. Use: Mango pulp and juice, Keeping quality: Above    average shipping and shelf life, Harvesting: By hand.-   Disease resistance: Anthracnose (Colletotricum gloeosporioides):    Good tolerance; Powdery mildew (Oidium mangiferae): Moderate    susceptibility.-   Physiological conditions: Sap burn is not a problem.

The new ‘Cherry’ variety differs from the parent tree ‘Kent’(unpatented) in that ‘Cherry’ produces fruit that are uniform in shapewhere most fruit are oblong to oval with a rounded base and shallowcavity with an average weight of 1,030 g (36.3 oz). The new mango‘Cherry’ immature fruits are purple with an ashen, waxy skin, and whenripen turned brilliant oxblood red peel color confluent over nearly thewhole surface, and the tree is small, and spreading and rounded andhighly productive, with good disease tolerance. ‘Kent’ produces fruitaverage 600 g (21.2 oz) that varies in shape where some are moreelongated and some are rounded, and the base color is green with yellowand some red blush. Additionally, the tree is vigorous, large, andcompact canopy and susceptible to Anthracnose (Colletotricumgloeosporioides) when grown under the same environmental conditions inthe Redlands farming district of Miami-Dade County in south Florida, theUnited States of America.

‘Cherry’ differs from commercial mango variety ‘Haden’ (unpatented) inthat ‘Cherry’ produces large fruit with an oblong to oval shape, whereas‘Haden’ produces medium to large fruit with an oval to round shape.

I claim:
 1. The invention of a new and distinct cultivar of mango treenamed ‘Cherry’, characterized by a small size tree with heavy andconsistent crops, excellent quality of fruit with brighter and uniformoxblood red color and excellent disease tolerance, substantially asillustrated and described in the specification.